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Over 200 delegates from Vietnam and ROK’s public agencies and partners gather at the 2019 Vietnam Korea Friendship Night held in Hanoi on November 15, 2019. Photo: Nam Nguyen/NLB

Held annually since 2000, the year-end event aims at creating an opportunity for trainees who joined KOICA funded training programmes to meet and celebrate their friendship.

Seen as a symbol strong friendship between the two countries, the event is an opportunity for key Vietnamese government officials and Korean public and private partners to share knowledge and experience relating to international development cooperation and to build networks.

Speaking at the event, Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Park Noh-wan emphasised that Vietnam and the ROK established a strategic cooperative partnership in 2009. Vietnam is the fourth largest economic partner of the ROK, while the latter has become the 2nd largest trading partner of Vietnam.

Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Park Noh-wan speaking at the event. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)

In recent years, relations between the two countries have developed well in all fields, seeing bilateral trade turnover reach US$68.2 billion in 2018 and with KOICA having contributed in part to the relationship between the two, Park said.

Through KOICA, the Korean government has supported Vietnam in strengthening capacity for nearly 5,000 Vietnamese officials individuals by organising invitational training programmes in the ROK. In 2019, KOICA Vietnam Office has supported the training of 318 Vietnamese officials in the ROK through relevant programmes, equipping each of them with the latest know-how from their respective field of learning.

President of the KOICA Club, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Truong Ngoc Nam, stated that the Friendship Night offers an opportunity for both Vietnamese and Korean partners to gather, share information and connect with each other. It is also a good opportunity to look back on the significant achievements in bilateral cooperation over the last year and share ideas for 2020.

During the event, Bui Thi Hoa, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, shared her experience of joining a training programme on “Capacity building on gender equality, women empowerment and girls protection” in the ROK.